Colors: When Emerald Eyes Are Shining
by Liv Wilder
Summary: A fun St. Patrick's Day story. "Castle," she moans half-heartedly, as he lands in front of her, his stomach gently pressing against hers, trapping her between his warm, solid body and the coffee machine. "I missed you," he whispers, brushing his lips over hers, and she shivers bodily. "No shame in saying you missed me too, Beckett." COMPLETE


_A/N: A fun little 'Colors' one-shot for St. Patrick's Day. Sláinte! Cheers! Hope you enjoy._

* * *

'_And we're all off to Dublin in the green, in the green _

_Where the helmets glisten in the sun _

_Where the bayonets flash and the rifles crash _

_To the rattle of a Thompson gun'_

'_Off To Dublin In The Green'_ by Dominic Behan

(sung by the Dubliners)

* * *

**_When Emerald Eyes Are Shining_**

"Castle, I'm not drinking green beer," scoffs Kate, pushing him back into his own chair when he leans in a little too close.

His proximity is suffocating her today. Five days apart while he stayed home to finish the first draft of the latest Nikki Heat and she should be glad to have him back working with her. Because she really missed him. Missed him _and_ his crazy theories, having to make her own coffee and longingly stare at the permanent dent his butt has made in the worn out chair by her desk.

But now that he's here it's suffocating – his nearness, his hands, the '_oh god I don't think I can control myself_' scent of him, his seeking, searching, smiling eyes, and that mouth…_fuck_, that mouth is going to get her fired for sure.

And now he's cajoling her to cut out on paperwork to come with him to the Old Haunt for drinks with Lanie and the guys, when all she wants is for them to go home and get naked on his bedroom floor so they can do really dirty things to one another.

"But it's St Paddy's Day, Beckett. Green beer is kind of a thing."

"Then I think I'll pass," she replies, trying to keep her tone light, no hint of whining girlfriend in there, no '_if you loved me more than green beer we'd be going home together. Alone!_'

Nope. Definitely none of that. She is _not_ turning into that woman.

* * *

There's a string of bright green paper shamrocks dangling above Ryan's desk, and they sway and flutter in the intermittent blasts of dusty air coming out of a nearby vent, only adding to the torturous passage of time.

"Beckett, can…can I have a word?" Castle asks her ten minutes later, as the tissue-thin paper rustles overhead.

Ten minutes he has spent flicking through photos on his phone that he's sneaked of her, jiggling his right foot where it hangs suspended from his left knee, and stealing quick-fire glances when he thinks she isn't looking.

He darts his eyes to check on Esposito who's sitting nearby, a large plush green top hat angled rakishly on his head, a disturbingly fake ginger beard running under his chin, making him look like some over-sized, Hispanic Leprechaun.

Kate regards Castle coolly, leans back in her chair, fingers steepled, tapping at the tips, elbows tucked into her sides, a crafty smile on her face.

"This is about the case I assume?" she asks, arching one eyebrow in suggestion, tilting her head thoughtfully to the side, as aware of Esposito's presence as her partner is.

"The…eh…the _case?_ Sure. Sure. Yeah, it's about the case," he agrees, catching on, leaning forward in his chair, both feet planted on the floor as if about to rise, but only if she gets up too.

"I suppose I could use another coffee," she tells him, sweeping past his knees to enter the relative privacy of the break room, leaving a fragrant waft of coconut and frangipane in her wake.

* * *

He closes the door behind him as she busies herself at the coffee machine; viscously emptying the spent espresso grounds in to the knockbox, and then tamping down a puck of fresh grounds in the silver portafilter.

He catches her hand as she tries to attach it to the machine with just a little too much force from her stronger-than-average wrist.

"Easy. Don't want to warp the threads on the group head," he says quietly, wrapping his fingers over hers to slow her movement, unwittingly setting fire to her blood in the process with his touch alone.

And suddenly the word _head_ has taken on a whole new…_dirty_ meaning inside her…eh…_head_, and she can't…she can't think straight with him right…

"Castle, you're going to have to take a step back," she blurts, prodding him in the chest and then snatching her hand back as if the heat from his body just scorched her.

"Oww," he moans, rubbing the center of his sternum where there is no flesh to protect him from the marauding finger of a certain female police detective. "What was _that_ for? Is this because I wanted you to go to the bar with me tonight?"

Kate sighs and runs her hands through her hair, disturbing it and leaving a tumble of curls worthy of a five-hour session in bed in her wake.

Castle smirks, his eyes roaming over her, twinkling greedily.

"Just so you know, your hair looks awesomely…"

"Shhh. I can't _think_ with you around me today," she whines, walking in a tight circle like some kind of caged animal, frustration coiling her muscles, her skin vibrating with unmet need.

When she stops, feet away from him, the sunlight catches the side of her face where it penetrates the grubby precinct windows.

"Your eyes," says Castle, and Kate stares, her eyes widening when he stares right back.

"Emerald," he breathes, reverently. "The hazel-green magic thing…it just turned _emerald_," he repeats, as if he is witnessing some kind of miracle; possibly the eighth wonder of the world.

"Okay, you need to stop staring into my eyes right now and go back out there, Castle," Kate tells him, one hand on her hip, then other pointing towards the door.

"Kate what on earth is wrong? I just got here and…and it's like you're mad at me already. I haven't been here long enough to piss you off this badly."

She sighs and drops her head into her hands before looking back up at him, her gaze softening.

"I know. I'm sorry. This isn't your fault. Well, it is…in a way. But mostly it's my fault," she says, biting the inside of her cheek.

"So, let me get this straight…it isn't my fault that you're mad at me but it also kind of is?"

"When you put it like that it sounds crazy, I know."

"Help me out here, Kate. I'm missing something."

"No. No, I missed you is all," she confesses quietly. "And now that you're…" she gestures towards him, "…_here_, I can't seem to…oh god, this sounds so wrong."

"Can't seem to what?" he asks, taking a step towards her.

"No. Castle, please just stay where you are."

"Kate…? Should I be worried? Do we have a problem?"

"No. The exact opposite. _You_…you're driving me _crazy_ today," she blurts, smacking her hand across her mouth, a blush staining her cheeks.

"Good crazy or bad crazy?" asks Castle, a smile starting to tug at the corners of his mouth, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"I think you know which kind," she scolds, unable to suppress a matching grin.

"Are you saying that I'm driving you crazy with desire, detective?" he whispers, glancing over his shoulder to check that the door is still closed and they are alone.

"Shut up. Do not make me say it or the feeling might wear off," she threatens.

But it's a pathetically weak threat since she's grinning at him the whole time.

"_Really?_ Cause it doesn't look like you can help yourself right now," he teases, getting closer to her.

"Castle," she moans half-heartedly, as he lands in front of her, his stomach gently pressing against hers, hands either side of the counter, trapping her between his warm, solid body and the coffee machine.

"I missed you," he whispers, brushing his lips over hers, and she shivers bodily. "No shame in saying you missed me too, Beckett."

"I…" she shakes her head, her fingers beginning to flirt with his rear pants pocket, hooking onto the little button she finds there. "You know I did," she huffs helplessly, ducking her head so that he rubs his jaw against her hair, soaking in the scent of her. "On the phone…every night…I told you."

"Just wanted to be sure," he tells her, flexing his fingers on her waist, pressing a light kiss to her cheek, before moving away again to put an acceptable distance between them.

* * *

Castle leaves to get the team lunch. He seems to take longer than usual, but Kate is frankly glad of the break from his overly distracting presence.

The rest of the day drags by. They glance at one another far too often to be safe or accidental, secretive, flirtatious smiles tugging at their features every time they lock eyes, as if they are mere marionettes controlled by their barely contained desires.

Kate hopes the boys don't notice. Castle knows that they do, but he has crossed the border into the promised land of Beckett-love and not caring. Five days apart, though they spoke on the phone every night, and this tough, beautiful woman, who he coveted for far too long, missed him enough to tell him so out loud, to his face, in broad daylight, in her place of work. His day is complete.

He spends some of the afternoon making furtive phone calls. Kate pretends not to notice, but her ears prick up on '_Jasmine, thanks. I owe you big time_.'

The mystery of Jasmine's identity almost trumps the owing part. Hell, who is she kidding. If she had a surname she'd be running this Jasmine through the system right now. But she resolves to hold out a little longer to see if her partner will give up his secret of his own volition. He's hopeless at secrets, never could hold out for long. So she'll wait him out, watch him spill.

* * *

Castle settles back in his chair with a satisfied sigh and stretches his long legs out in front of him…which unfortunately also means out in front of her. And then before she can stop herself, she's running her eyes up from his manly feet, along the sharp crease in his charcoal dress pants to his not-insubstantial crotch, before alighting on the Hugo Boss belt she'd like to be unfastening right now…with her _teeth_.

"Stuck on your name?" he asks, and she startles back in her chair, her face flaming.

And since when did he manage to get this close to her ear when she was staring at his…? Right, time to get a grip, Beckett, she thinks.

"Sorry?" she asks, shaking her head to clear the haze of lust from her distracted brain.

Castle reaches over and taps one well-manicured fingernail against the form she's filling out.

"Your name," he repeats, pointing to the blank space she's managed to leave next to the word '_Surname_'. "It should say 'Beckett' in that space," he adds with a knowing smirk and a tone of voice she wants to deem far too intimate for public usage.

"I think I know my own name, Castle," she snorts derisively, trying to cover her embarrassment at being caught ogling her boyfriend-slash-partner during working hours.

"_Really?_ Are you sure about that?" he teases, leaning far closer than is necessary. "Because last time we were at your place and I put my tongue on your…"

"Shhh," Kate hisses, slamming the case file closed and abruptly getting up from her desk to take a walk.

"Where are you going?" he calls after her, watching her swipe a little green leprechaun from the corner of Ryan's desk and toss it into the air.

"Away. Anywhere," she calls, not even looking back as she continues down the hall towards the bank of interrogation rooms, tossing the poor little green plush figure repeatedly, sailing him so high that his vivid velvet hat eventually bounces off the ancient, grubby, precinct ceiling tiles.

"Yo, Castle. What's with Beckett?" asks Esposito, glancing over at his retreating boss, tugging on the scratchy ginger beard that looks far too flammable for Castle's liking.

Castle wisely shrugs and just shakes his head.

"Paperwork's making her stir crazy, I guess."

"We still on for drinks at the Old Haunt in…oh, _ten_?" asks Ryan, checking his watch.

When Castle gets up from his chair without answering to follow Beckett down the hall, both detectives stare after him.

"Those two are worse than you and Jenny," grimaces Esposito, a hint of envy mixed with disgust in his voice as he jerks his head in their direction. "If he catches her, I have a sneaky feeling they might be a while. Let's go. Leave them a note, bro."

"Only way I'm going anywhere with you is if you take that stupid hat off," warns Ryan, tugging down on the elasticated beard and then letting it snap hard against Esposito's chin.

"Just for that, first round's on you, _Boyo_," warns Esposito, shrugging on his leather jacket and dumping the Leprechaun hat on Ryan's head, laughing when the ginger beard dangles right under his nose and the Irish detective sneezes.

* * *

"Are you still mad at me for arranging to go out with the guys tonight?" asks Castle ten minutes later, holding open a cab door for Kate.

"Mad? Why would I be mad?" she asks, feigning more nonchalance and self-control than she's actually feeling.

"Because you want me all to yourself," he whispers directly into her ear, before leaning forward to give the driver directions.

Kate's eyes drift closed, the last wisps of Castle warm breath fanning down her bare neck and into the space between her breasts where her shirt parts at the front.

The opening is extra low, since she popped another button in the ladies' room, before tousling her hair in the mirror and applying a slick of lipgloss in revenge for Castle's St. Paddy's Day plans. If he wants to hang with their friends, so be it. But she figures she can tease him into leaving early and she's set herself that very challenge - to let her fingers wander perilously high on his thigh until he twitches; whisper dirty words in his ear, her mouth so close that her lips graze the sensitive shell, where he once confessed the low hum of her voice sends shivers shooting down his spine to his very tip; dart her tongue out over the rim of her glass every time she takes a sip of her drink until his eyes pop right out of his head and he begs to take her home.

Yeah, they'll be out of there before he can say '_Apples_'.

So she lets herself sink back against the hard, over-sprung grey pleather of the taxi's back seat, freeing her mind for a few moments as the cab surges out into the traffic and Castle's warm hand settles on her knee. She smiles, letting the frustrations of the day leave her, mentally preparing herself for the noise and bustle of his busy bar, Lanie's Javi-filled chatter, the crush of warm bodies, a sea of tacky emerald green, and the lively Irish folk music that played on a loop this time last year when they were still broken and life was way less fun.

* * *

"Penny for them," Castle whispers, squeezing her knee gently, his shoulder resting against hers.

"What?" she startles, her eyes flying open as the cab swoops towards a new curb in a new street, and how long were her eyes closed anyway?

"You were smiling. Just wondered why."

She spots a miniature green hedge out on the sidewalk, the tiny emerald leaves glinting with glossy good health in the yellow glow from the brass lamplight above. The walls are polished tile, a deep, dark green, mottled with lighter shades, like patchwork slices of malachite.

"I was just…"

Kate stares out of the window, her brain finally catching up with her eyes. The scene is unfamiliar. A uniformed, over-coated doorman walks briskly towards them, opening the cab door and allowing a rush of cold air to flood inside, he bows.

Kate takes the hand the man offers her, stepping up onto the raised curb as Castle rounds the cab from the street side, pulling a wad of notes from his wallet.

The street is quiet, almost traffic free, but Kate can hear raised, happy voices echoing from a busy bar further down near the corner. A couple emerges from the bar, and the tall man wraps his arm around the woman, her bright green feather boa fluttering in the chilling air as she leans into him, swaying slightly, her sated laughter making Kate smile.

She turns back to where her partner is waiting for her, his hand outstretched to take hers. She lets him lace their fingers together, a familiar rush of excitement passing through her as his hand encircles hers.

"Castle, where are we? This isn't The Old Haunt."

"Come with me and you'll find out," he says cryptically, leading her into the lobby of a stylish, but cosy, boutique hotel.

An elegant young woman in a sharp, black pantsuit approaches them, her hand outstretched to shake Castle's.

"Jasmine, this is Kate," he says, shaking the woman's hand and then turning to introduce his partner.

"Miss Beckett, it's a pleasure," the woman says, bowing slightly as she shakes Kate's hand. "I trust you'll find everything to your liking. Your luggage is already in your suite. Don't hesitate to call if there's anything else you need," she says, handing Castle a black keycard and then withdrawing to leave them alone.

"Luggage?" murmurs Kate discreetly, as they stand side-by-side in front of the bank of elevators, watching the numbers illuminate towards the lobby level.

She's trying to act calm, as if she knows exactly what's going on, when she really has no clue. Castle is being quieter than usual, enigmatic Kate would go so far as to say, a hint of a smile on his lips as his hand flexes around hers.

"I may have taken some liberties," he says, giving her a nervous glance.

Because this is Kate Beckett and he's pretty sure he's overstepped quite a few boundaries this time; the words '_stay out of my stuff_' coming back to haunt him. He just hopes she won't be mad at him for too long.

* * *

The doors open and he ushers her inside, his hand low on her back, warm and comforting. Castle slides the keycard into the slot on the control panel and hits the button for the penthouse level.

Kate arches an eyebrow at him.

"What did you do?" she asks, her heart starting to beat a little faster.

"Patience, Kate" he says, looking up to watch the numbers climb, tapping his foot against the black marble tile.

He takes her hand again as the walk along the dimly lit corridor to one of the two penthouse suites that share the hotel's top floor.

"Are you going to tell me why we're here?" she asks, stopping him with a hand to his wrist as he raises the keycard to open the door. "Wait. The boys aren't hiding inside to jump out on us, are they? Because that would be…"

Kate shakes her head, her nose wrinkled adorably and Castle laughs quietly, but only hands her the keycard and indicates for her to open the door herself.

"No boys. I promise," he says, fingers skimming her cheek as he leans down to kiss her tenderly, threading one hand through her hair, the other holding onto her hip and squeezing lightly.

Kate forgets all about what might be on the other side of the door as she arches up into the kiss, wrapping her arms around Castle's waist beneath the warmth of his jacket, reveling in the solid muscularity of his body, a week's worth of pent up need rushing through her.

They continue kissing, quickly getting carried away, their fingers starting to roam and explore, mouths meeting again and again, lips parting in warm, wet invitation, tongues stroking, delving deeper, until a needy moan escapes both their throats simultaneously, shattering the heavy, carpeted-silence of the hallway.

They pull apart, laughing, slightly embarrassed, and Kate touches her fingertips to her damp, kiss-swollen lips.

"How about we take this inside?" suggests Castle, taking the keycard from Kate and sliding it into the slot, snagging her hand to lead her in after him.

* * *

The suite is spectacular – floor to ceiling windows, low, seductive lighting, an enormous living room with large velvet sofas, an abundance of beautiful floral arrangements and a fire blazing in the modern, limestone hearth. A bottle of Champagne sits chilling in an ice bucket on the coffee table, two delicate crystal flutes just waiting to be filled by its side.

Kate takes it all in, speechless, as she scans the room from one end to the other.

"Come on. Let's check out the rest of the place," says Castle, taking her hand and leading her through to the bedroom.

"You mean you've never been here before?" she asks, hoping he says '_no'_ for all sorts of reasons she'd never admit out loud.

"No. Never," says Castle, shaking his head.

"But, Jasmine…?" asks Kate, displaying more curiosity than she means to.

"Concierge service," he explains. "Whatever you need, they'll set it up for you."

"And you needed this because…?" Kate asks, indicating their opulent surroundings.

"Just…come with me," he replies, squeezing her hand in reassurance.

* * *

The first thing Kate notices, after she gets over the size of the massive bed, is her brown leather overnight bag sitting on the ottoman at the foot of the bed next to Castle's black one.

"This our luggage?" she asks, pointing to the two bags, her brow knitting into an amused frown. "How'd it get here and what on earth did you pack for me?" she asks, walking over to peer into the bag.

But the contents have already been unpacked by the hotel staff, and so Castle goes over to the illuminated closet and opens it up to show Kate what's inside.

Her emerald green silk cocktail dress is hanging on a padded hanger next to Castle's navy suit and a white dress shirt. Two pairs of shoes sit side-by-side underneath – Kate's sparkly gold heels and Castle's black leather dress shoes.

"Underwear?" she asks, turning to look him in the eye.

He's standing off to the side, looking slightly tense now since Kate has yet to offer any opinion on his secret plan.

"Of course. Check the shelf," he suggests, pointing further into the walk-in closet.

Resting against the cream interior is a matching set of lingerie – a black lacy bra and panties that Kate knows Castle particularly likes. A simpler, ivory-colored set sits alongside for use the following day, Kate assumes. An unopened pair of stay-up stockings are sitting beside the underwear, along with a forest green satin chemise for sleeping in and her small gold evening clutch. Laid out alongside is a velvet jewelry pouch containing her gold cuff and a pair of long drop earrings, along with a chunky faux-emerald cocktail ring she's worn with this dress before. A pair of jeans and her navy, wool turtleneck are lying folded on the shelf below, with a navy and white striped scarf nestling in a frothy pile on top.

"I see you thought of everything," says Kate, touching the cool silk of her dress, letting the fabric run through her fingers.

She manages to keep her face straight, but is struggling to keep her voice light. Because no one has ever gone to so much trouble for her before, and she also knows that she would never have wanted anyone to make such an intimate gesture before now.

Before Castle.

She is seriously impressed and touched by his attention to detail, by how well he knows her. How closely he observes her is no secret, but still she wonders if she could do the same for him.

* * *

Keeping him hanging just a little longer, she asks, "So, how did all this stuff get here? Did you sneak off to my apartment when you were supposed to be out getting lunch?"

Castle scrubs a hand over his jaw, taking a moment to think before he replies to her question.

"I'm gonna refuse to answer that pursuant to my Fifth Amendment rights," he replies quietly, glancing down at his feet, before peering up to see Kate's reaction, a smile beginning to tug at the corners of his mouth.

"Ah, so it's going to be like that, is it?" teases Kate, walking towards him, her hands landing on his waist, her pelvis resting against his once she gets close enough. "Do I have to interrogate the answers out of you, Castle? Is that what this is?" she asks, brushing her lips over his jaw and then stretching up to kiss him lightly on the lips, her eyes shining with all the gratitude she can't yet voice.

Castle's eyes slam shut at her nearness and his pulse skyrockets, his own fingers latching onto Kate's hips and squeezing firmly to draw her even closer.

"No interrogating. You refused a night of green beer in a noisy bar, and you were right to. I'm an idiot. I missed you. I didn't realize how much until we were alone in the break room today. So...I thought we could use a night to ourselves."

"What about the boys? Aren't they expecting us?" asks Kate, fingering Castle's shirt collar, smoothing her thumb over the royal blue cotton twill and then popping open a button.

"I set them up with an open-ended tab at the bar. Dan'll take care of them. So I honestly don't think they'll miss us, do you?" he asks, walking Kate backwards towards the bed, his smile warming up, crinkling his eyes, since she hasn't shot him down yet for going behind her back and rifling through her intimates drawer.

"Guess not," she grins, sliding her arms up around Castle's neck as the backs of her knees hit the edge of the mattress, drawing him closer to her.

"Rumor has it the bathroom in this place has an indecently large whirlpool tub. And since our dinner reservation isn't until nine-thirty," Castle whispers, ghosting his lips so lightly over her cheek that she shivers, "what say we open that bottle of Champagne and enjoy some bubbles of our own in that huge bathtub?"

"I think that you are spoiling me, Castle. But okay. On one condition," offers Kate, coyly biting her lip.

"What's that?" he asks, running his hands up and down her sides, his thumbs just flirting with the outer edges of her breasts, his eyes magnetically drawn to the spectacular view of her cleavage her shirt is giving him.

"Next time," Kate grins, her lips brushing the soft shell of his ear, her fingers already working to free his belt from the chrome buckle, "pack the matching garter belt and stockings," she whispers, before crushing her mouth against his.

* * *

**Emerald Green**: Emerald Green is a luminous, magnificent hue, the color of beauty, new life and prosperity. Green generates strong feelings such as kindness, generosity, loyalty and intelligence. Additionally it can also be associated with envy, jealousy, inexperience, nature, even fertility.

**PANTONE 17-5641 Emerald**, a lively, radiant, lush green, is the Color of the Year for 2013.

* * *

_Thoughts?_


End file.
